Novels by Anna Bajanova

EpilogueEveryone who passed by the CEO’s office felt not just awkwardness but genuine fear. Several employees had already been fired simply for crossing Darvin’s path at the wrong moment. Stas walked past the sixth secretary hired that year and entered the office without knocking.“Vlad, even your own employees have started complaining to me,” he said, getting straight to the point as he sat down on the couch across from his brother. Vlad looked darker than a thundercloud, and no one seemed to understand why. “Maybe you can explain why people have been afraid to approach you for almost a year now?”Vlad raised his right hand.“What do you see?”“Your fingers…”“And what should have been on one of those fingers for at least a year now?”“Enough with the riddles. Are you like this because you and Nina still aren’t married? That depends entirely on you—just propose already. Honestly, I’ve been wondering myself why you still haven’t done it.”“I already have. Four times…”“Oh, come on, e

AlinaAnd so the day had finally arrived, yet the decision still hadn’t been made. My heart felt as though it were being torn apart, but did I really have a choice? Of course I did—become a single mother, or go on living as if nothing had ever happened. Both options made my knees tremble with fear.I had grown up surrounded by love and tenderness, care and peace, and it was hard for me to imagine how life could suddenly sweep me into a whirlwind of troubles.The cool September air made me shiver, and I wrapped my coat more tightly around myself. Dampness and gloom had settled over the world so abruptly that there had been no chance to catch my breath between the two seasons. Everything had happened too quickly. Just recently I had been a happy bride-to-be, but after choosing happiness over a promising husband, I had ended up a pregnant woman no one seemed to want.Of course I hadn’t told my parents anything. I was too ashamed of what I had done to even admit it to myself.I crossed th

At the entrance to the shabby old building, a well-dressed man in a dark business suit was already waiting for me.“Good morning, Mrs. Nina,” he said, handing me a folder with documents and a key. “The building now belongs entirely to you. There’s no need to pay any rent.”“Thank you,” I replied quietly, taking the items from his outstretched hand.After watching the stranger walk away—the man who had never even bothered to introduce himself—I turned my gaze back to the building.I had once spent so much time here that it was impossible to measure it properly. Sometimes I even stayed overnight. This place had been my sanctuary, the one where every object seemed to fill me with inspiration for new creations.I slipped the key into the lock, and the door creaked open.The sharp rhythm of my heels echoed across the tiled floor and bounced off the walls. The cool air inside the room, mixed with a faint trace of dampness, stirred pleasant memories in my mind.I opened the main door and fro

There was so much gratitude in my gaze that I could never have put it all into words. I had imagined countless times how I would explain to my son who his real father was, but Max had managed to do it almost effortlessly, as if by magic.“Thank you,” I said softly, stepping closer to him.Max took my hand and replied,“I have a request.”“Anything,” I answered honestly.Max leaned closer to my ear and whispered so quietly that only I could hear him.“Please… don’t disappear from my life. Stay in it at least as a friend.”I looked at him in surprise, but still nodded and smiled.Suddenly, as if someone had grabbed a kitten by the scruff of its neck, I was yanked backward. A strong hand settled on my shoulders, and an irritated voice sounded right beside my face.“What are you two lovebirds whispering about?”“Unexpected…” Max said with a faint smile. “So you are jealous after all, Darvin.”He turned his back to us.“If you don’t take good care of her, I’ll steal her away.”“Ni-na…” the

The man sat down across from the smug old man and braced himself for a difficult conversation. It became clear almost immediately that the boy was being held somewhere else. It would have been foolish to assume that such a valuable hostage would be kept within easy reach. This had all been a carefully orchestrated game designed to lure him exactly where they wanted him.“Well, here we are at last, face to face, Darvin,” the man said, flashing two rows of less-than-perfect teeth in a broad grin. “You know, you’re the spitting image of Emelyan. For a moment it almost feels like he’s the one sitting in front of me.”“Where is my son?” Darvin asked quietly, struggling to contain the rage coiled inside his fist. His fingers dug so hard into his palm that the skin beneath them turned red.“He’s perfectly fine. But his future depends entirely on you now. I had my suspicions from the very beginning that Sasha wasn’t my son’s child. That’s why I sent that nanny into your house. And she confirm

Father had taken a few blows, but overall he looked more or less fine. I looked at both of my parents and asked, struggling to keep the surge of fury inside me under control.“Why did you open the door? Couldn’t you have called us first when a stranger showed up at the doorstep?”Mother’s expression turned serious as she finished tending to my husband’s wound.“My dear, he wasn’t a stranger—that’s why I opened the door. The girl said she was your friend, and Sasha recognized her.”“A girl?” I asked in surprise. “What did Sasha call her?”“The nanny.”I slowly sank onto the couch and went still.How could that be? Could it really have been Nastya? But why would she do something like that?“Was it Nastya who hit you on the head like that?” I asked my father, glancing over my shoulder to where Darvin and Vanya were reviewing footage from the city cameras.“No. Two men burst in right after her and took the child. We tried to stop them, but… you can see how that turned out,” Mom said quiet

EpilogueIn the southern part of the Dominican Republic, summer was especially merciless, yet the light, humid breeze drifting in from the Caribbean Sea softened the edge of that oppressive heat. Slipping out to the beach early in the morning, I decided to be alone for a while and indulge in a bit of quiet reflection about life. The barely audible wash of the waves sounded like a soothing melody—exactly what I needed right now.A couple of days ago, I found out that I was truly pregnant, and suddenly far too many thoughts were crowding my mind. Owning a home—our own home—had become essential to me, a place where these two little troublemakers would grow up. Arthur stubbornly refused to talk about our future, sending me off to the beach to “rest” every single time I tried to bring it up. I had already figured out that we were on our honeymoon—but what would come after that?Lately, Arthur had been spending an alarming amount of time with his laptop and phone. Since he mostly spoke in t

The road felt far too familiar. That route had etched itself into my memory forever, yet now I couldn’t, for the life of me, understand why we were heading toward the Abramov mansion. Arthur gazed lazily out the window while Lena murmured something incoherent in her sleep. I was the only one sitting rigidly, as if perched on needles, and eventually I couldn’t bear it any longer.“Why are we going there?” I asked.“You’re going to deliver a gift to your friend from me.”It didn’t take long to realize what he meant. The only thing he could possibly offer was the pendant.“Is this some kind of joke?” I looked at him skeptically. “You were planning to take it away. And now you just want to hand it over?”Arthur glanced at me, clearly confused by the direction of the conversation.“I can’t take him,” he said calmly. “I don’t have time to watch over a child right now. I already have to protect this girl. The baby will be safer with his mother.”“I don’t understand you. Protect your mate fro

I had expected to see a Gothic palace with grim gargoyles clinging to its façade—not an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The place was desolate, steeped in an oppressive stillness. Even the blazing orange rays of the setting sun failed to bring it to life.The car came to a stop at the edge of the forest, offering a clear view of the half-ruined building.“Are you sure this is the place?” I asked as David unfastened his seatbelt.“Yes. This is where they keep those who displease the Werewolf Council. I’m going in. You stay here.”“Why would I do that? I’m coming with you!” I protested, tugging at the seatbelt latch. “What the hell? Is it jammed?”“Do you want to join the blonde in the back seat?”I stopped struggling and glanced over my shoulder at the sleeping girl.“No, I don’t. But I’m still coming with you.”“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? You’ll stay here—conscious or unconscious.”He opened the door and stepped out of the car.The moment he disappeared

“Maya, how are you?” Maura asked, her voice tight with concern.I sank into an armchair and let out a heavy sigh.“I’m fine… but I still don’t remember anything.”“Alright,” Egor said in a firm, commanding tone. “Your mate is Arthur Gromov. He’s being held at the Council right now, and from what we can tell, Ruslan managed to wipe his memory too.”“Who?” three female voices echoed at once.Had I heard that right—Gromov?“That’s impossible,” I snapped. “I wouldn’t go anywhere near Gromov even if you paid me.”“Egor, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Maura asked, just as shaken.“No, I’m not. He claimed you as his mate, but the Council denied him. Maya, I don’t know what happened between you two all this time, but I can say one thing for sure: that guy loves you—deeply. And you… at the awards ceremony, when you won that culinary competition…”“Stop!” I cut the Alpha off. “I won a competition?”“Yes, but that’s not the point,” the werewolf went on. “That night I saw it—those sparks in b

"I truly didn’t tell him anything," I said, trembling as I felt Ruslan’s claws tear through the fabric of my T-shirt across my back."I wasn’t born yesterday. Was it really that hard to stay home?""What’s his name?" I asked, deciding to change the subject as I took a few steps back, clutching the shredded remains of my shirt to my chest.Either Ruslan didn’t hear me, or he chose to ignore the question. Turning my back on him was a fatal mistake.He looked like a beast driven mad with fury. Claws had burst from his hands, coarse wolf fur spreading across his skin. His eyes burned with a sickly yellow glow. But what terrified me most were his fangs — the same fangs that had already caused me unbearable pain."Ruslan, please, calm down. Let’s talk. Like normal people.""Talk?" He didn’t say it — he growled it, like a true predator, stepping forward and slamming me against the wall."I’m afraid of you.""Afraid?" A twisted grin stretched across his face — something that might once have r

Sometimes life turns into a vicious cycle of misfortune and relentless setbacks. I knew my memory had been erased—but I couldn’t grasp what, exactly, had been taken from me. The Maya staring back from the mirror was undeniably me, yet she felt like a stranger. My features had sharpened, shedding their girlish softness and fullness, becoming more refined, more feminine. My eyes seemed greener, my hair even more copper than before.My gaze drifted to the delicate sun-shaped pendant resting against my collarbone, set with a vivid red stone. I had no idea where it had come from, yet I knew—absolutely knew—that I was meant to wear it and never take it off. And then there was the mark on my neck. Or rather, I knew it had been there yesterday. Ruslan had sunk his wolf fangs into that spot so many times that now it was nothing but a blur of wounds and bruises, impossible to make out.A soft knock at the door pulled me away from my two-hour attempt to rediscover myself in the mirror. I had foo

“Miss Shulgin!”The professor’s voice rang through the lecture hall.“Shulgin!”I kept absentmindedly tracing Alan’s name across my notebook, drawing tiny hearts around it while my mind wandered somewhere far beyond the university walls. It was Friday—our last class of the week—and tonight Alan and I finally had a date.Lately, I’d been looking forward to nights like this more than ever. Ever since the wedding, we’d both been buried under work, responsibilities, endless obligations. It felt like we barely got any time alone anymore.So naturally, I completely missed the fact that trouble was heading straight for me.A sharp crack echoed through the room as the pointer slammed against my desk, making me jump so hard my notebook nearly slid onto the floor.I looked up in alarm and met the professor’s irritated stare.“Miss Shulgin,” he repeated pointedly, and only then did it hit me that he’d been trying to get my attention this entire time.Damn.I still wasn’t used to my new last name

No, those two were never going to be friends. And honestly, why had I ever convinced myself Kira and Valeri had found some kind of middle ground when they looked seconds away from tearing each other apart every single time they were in the same room?I watched yet another argument unfold with detached amusement, still struggling to believe my sweet, well-mannered sister could hate someone this much.I’d tried more than once to figure out what had happened between them, but every time I asked, both of them shut down instantly, like they’d made some blood oath never to talk about it.“Girls like her shouldn’t even be looking in our direction, let alone—” Kira snapped before cutting herself off the second she noticed the curiosity on my face.There it was again.The moment the real reason came up, silence.Valeri walked over and looped her arm through mine.“Come on. We still have to find you the prettiest dress for the wedding, Zoe,” she said.Kira immediately scoffed.“And you think yo

Sweetheart, are you absolutely sure about this?” Dad asked for what felt like the hundredth time, wrapping an arm around my shoulders outside the hospital entrance.The day I was finally being discharged had come, and everyone showed up to celebrate my recovery. Everyone except Mom. We’d gotten into another fight because of my new fiancé. She openly accused me of stealing Valeri’s man, and whatever fragile peace we’d managed to rebuild shattered instantly.“I’m sure, Dad,” I said softly, slipping out of his embrace with a small smile.I moved closer to Alan, then glanced around at everyone gathered outside.“Thank you all for coming.”Valeri and Kira smiled warmly at me, while Boris stepped forward and held out a hand to Alan.“Take good care of her, Shulgin. Otherwise, I’ll steal her away myself,” he said seriously.Then the familiar dimple appeared in his cheek, and I relaxed immediately.“Of course I’ll take care of her, Uleev,” Alan replied evenly. “So don’t even think about touch

Breathing hurt, but opening my eyes felt impossible.Somewhere nearby, a familiar voice wrapped around me, soft and warm, pulling me toward it. I wanted to see him so badly.“Open your eyes, Sleeping Beauty,” Alan whispered, pressing a kiss to my hand between every word.My fingers twitched at the sensation, and I heard movement beside me.“Zoe, you can hear me, can’t you?” His voice dropped lower, rough with emotion. “I know you can. And the second you wake up, I’m getting on my knees and asking you to marry me.”“I agree,” I whispered weakly, barely managing to move my tongue.My voice sounded strange and distant, muffled behind something covering my face.“You agree?” Happiness exploded in his voice, and then something cool brushed against my skin. A ring. “God, sweetheart, you have no idea how happy I am right now. It’d be even better if you opened those pretty eyes for me. I want to see you looking at me.”Well… if you want it that badly.Using every bit of strength I had left, I

AlanThe gun went off, but no pain followed.I was still breathing, and for a second, my brain couldn’t even process it. Shouting exploded around the warehouse, forcing my eyes open. Shock slammed through me as I stared at the man sprawled motionless across the floor. Blood pooled beneath him fast while armed men stormed the building from every direction. One look at the uniforms and insignias on their vests told me they were on my side.Then I saw a familiar figure in the distance, and honestly, I didn’t even know if I felt relieved.The look on Yakovlev’s face was terrifying.He marched straight toward me like he wanted to tear me apart for hurting his daughter all over again.Rinat stepped out from behind Konstantin and rushed over, his hands shaking while he untied the ropes around my wrists.“Do you have any idea what would’ve happened if I hadn’t decided to check why the hell you weren’t answering your phone?” he snapped, practically shaking with anger. “I kept calling, and when

AlanPain tore through every muscle in my body, but it barely registered compared to the horror that slammed into me the second I woke up. The moment my head cleared, I remembered Zoe.Those bastards could’ve killed her.Or worse.Every possible scenario that flashed through my mind was worse than the last, and if not for the gag shoved into my mouth, I would’ve ripped the man guarding me apart with nothing but pure rage.An abandoned warehouse stretched around me, dusty and half-rotten, thin beams of sunlight cutting through cracks in the walls. Rusted metal groaned somewhere overhead.I’d been out for hours. Maybe longer.The door creaked open.Two men walked inside.One of them I knew far too well.The other was younger, sharp-featured, probably somewhere in his twenties. Never seen him before.“You’re awake,” Philip said with a smug little smile as he stopped in front of me.Some people looked rotten from the inside out. Philip was one of them. You could see it in the way he carri